Felix bbown



( No Model.)

P. BRoWNa Fog Signal. No.'236,772. Patented Jan. 18, I-88I .UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOG-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,772, dated January18, 1881.

Application filed December 15, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FELrx BROWN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of NewYork,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Fog-Signals, of which thefollowin-g is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of fog-signalswhich are known as ro sirens.

M-y invention consists in the combination, in a siren, of a suitablecasing with one or more openings for admitting air, and vtwo or moreopenings for discharging the air, and a fan-Wheel which revolves in thecasing and serves to draw in the air through one set of openings, and todischarge it in intermittent currents through'the other set of openings;also, in the combination, in a siren, of a cyzo lindrica'l casingwithopenings inits periphery and in one of its heads, a fan-wheelmounted on a shaft and adapted to revolve in the interior of the casing,openings in thejacketof the fan-Wheel which can be made to register withz 5 the openings in the casing, and wings on said fan-wheel constructedto draw in air through one set of openings in the casing and to drive itout intermittently through the other set of openings; also, in thecombination, with the 3o casing and the fan-wheel constructed as abovedescribed, of mechanism for adjusting the fanwheel in relation to theair-escape openings.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l repre- 3 5 sents a vertical section in the plane .r w, Fig. 2.Fig. 2 is a front view. Fig.3 is a horizontal section in the plane y y,Fig. 2. Fig. 4t is a detached sectional view of the fan-wheel on alarger scale than the previous figure.

4o Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In the example shown in the drawings, the letter A designates acylindrical casin g, which is provided With a series of openings, a, inits periphery, and with openings b b in its head B. Through this easingextends a shaft, C,

which has its bearings at one end in the head B, and at its opposite endin a standard, D, secured to the casing A. On this shaft is mounted afan-wheel, E, which is 5o composed of a solid disk, c, a cylindricaljacket, d, a series of radiating wings, e, and

a ring, which is connected to the disk c by the jacket d and the win gse. In the jacket d area series of openings, f, Fig. 4, by preferencejust in front of the radiating wings e, and said 5 3 jacket is' of sucha diameter that it fits in-to the casing A, and can be revolved therein.

The shaft C of the fan-wheel is mounted in its bearings in such a mannerthat it can be moved therein in the direction of its length, 6o and ifthe fan-Wheel is brought in such a position that it covers the openingsa in the casing A, .either partially or Wholly, and a revolving motionis imparted to it, the air, which is drawn in through the openings b bin the head B, is expelled through the openings f in the jacket dof thefan-wheel and through the openings a a in the periphery of the casing A.As the openings f move past the openings a the latter openings arealternately openedl and 7o closed, and the currents of air dischargedthrough them are intermittent-0r, in other Words, a rapid vibration isimparted to the air as the same enters the openings b and as it escapesfrom the openings a, and a loud tone is produced. The volume of the toneand its pitch depend chieiiy upon the velocity with which the fan-Wheelis revolved; but if the fan-wheel is revolved with uniform velocity thevolume Vof the tone can be changed by 8o moving the fan-wheel shaft inits bearings so as to uncover the openings f, more or less. By movingthe shaft so as to uncover these openings gradually, While the fan-Wheelis in motion, the tone is swelled, and vice versa, and by 8 5 thesemeans a peculiar effect can be produced with my siren, so that its tonecan be heard at a great distance and readily distinguished from othertones.

In order to increase the volume of the tone 9o the casing A issurrounded by a conical jacket,

F, which also forms a portion of the frame Gr, that supports the drivingmechanism. This mechanism consists of a pulley, H, mounted on thefan-wheel shaft, a countershaft, I, mounted in the frame G and carryinga pinion,

J, and a pulley, K, and a driving-shaft, L, mounted in the frame G andcarryinga cogwheel, M, and a hand-crank, N. The pulleys K and H areconnected by a belt, and the cogroc Wheel M gears into the pinion J, andthe diameters of these wheels and pulleys are so selected that onerevolution of the driving-shaft produces a large number of revolutionsof the fan-wheel, and that with comparatively little exertion a veryrapid motion can be imparted to said fan-wheel.

On the frame G is also mounted a vertical shaft, 0, which carries at itsupper end a hand-lever, P, and at its lower end a pinion or toothedsegment, Q, Fig. 3, which gears into circular grooves t' in thefan-wheel shaft. A spring, j, which acts on the shaft O, has a tendencyto retain the same in such a position that the openings f in the jacketof the fanwheel are wholly covered by the solid portion of the casing,and do not register with any portion of the openings a in the casing.When a revolving motion is imparted to the fanwheel, and the verticalshaft O is turned gradually against the action of its spring j, theopenings f are gradually uncovered and brought to register with theopenings a, and a tone of gradually-increasing volume is produced. Byallowing the shaftO to follow the action of its spring the volume of thetone is gradually reduced, and when the openings f in the fanwheel comeopposite the solid portion of the casing no tone is produced.

This siren is intended particularly as a fog-signal for sailing-vessels,and it is therefore so arranged that it can be operated by hand; but itmay be driven by any other power, or by steam if it is to be used on asteam-vessel. It must also be remarked that the principal advantage ofmy siren is due to the fact that it supplies its own air, while sirensheretofore constructed were dependent upon currents of compressed air orsteam, which had to be supplied by proper mechanical means.

The action of my siren depends chiey upon the fan-wheel, which draws inair through one set of openings, and expels the air in intermittentcurrents through another set of openings.

The shaft 0 may also be operated automatically in such a manner that theopeningsfare covered and uncovered at certain intervals, thus producinga series of penetrating sounds of longer or shorter duration, accordingto a prearranged signal.

With the jacket F may be connected a trumpet or horn, shouldcircumstances require it.

My siren can be built on any scale, and it will also be a very e'icientfog-signal for lighthouses and light-vessels.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a siren, of a suitable casing with one or moreopenings for admitting air, and two or more openings for discharging theair, and a fan-wheel which revolves in the casing and serves to draw inthe air through one set of openings in the casing, and to discharge itin intermittent currents through the other set of openings,substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a siren, of a cylindrical casing with openings inits periphery and in one of its heads, a fan-wheel mounted on a shaftand adapted to revolve in the interior of the casing, openings in thejacket of the fan-wheel, which can be made to register with the openingsin the casing, and wings on said fan wl1eel, constructed to draw in airthrough one set of openings in the casing and drive it outintermittently through the other set of openings, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination, with the casing A and its two sets of openings, of afan-wheel conconstructed to revolve in the casing, and of mechanism foradjusting the fan-wheel in relation to the air-escapeopenings,substantially as herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FELIX BROWN. lL. 8.]

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENBUBER.

